Video: Focusing on exoplanets with the Giant Magellan Telescope

Here’s a Planetary Society report on the making of one of the seven mirrors for the Giant Magellan Telescope, which should become operational in 2020.

From the caption:

After spending three months cooling, the GMT’s third mirror was removed from its rotating furnace on Dec. 6, 2013 and unveiled at the University of Arizona Steward Observatory Mirror Lab. It will take another three years for the mirror to be polished to extremely high precision. If the finished mirror were enlarged to cover the continental U.S., the peak-to-valley variance in smoothness would only be a half-inch.

The GMT’s seven 8.4 meter mirrors and adaptive optics system will give it ten times the resolution and sensitivity of the Hubble Space Telescope. It will be able to measure the mass of exoplanets and determine the composition of their atmospheres.

If life exists on one of the 1,000 currently known exoplanets, the GMT may be able to see indicators of life like ozone and chlorophyll in the exoplanet’s atmosphere. Such a game-changing discovery could tell us Earth is not the only planet in the Universe with life.

Space policy roundup – Jan.13.14

Today’s selection of space policy/politics related links

The AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition (SciTech2014) began today in National Harbor, Maryland. Videos are being posted of some of the presentations and sessions. Here are a couple of space policy related videos posted from this morning:

Notes from the sessions are available at:

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The Space Show this week

The guests and topics for The Space Show this week:

1. Monday, Jan. 13, 2014, 2-3:30 PM PST (5-6:30 PM EST, 4-5:30 PM CST): We welcome Charles Pooley and Ed LeBouthillier regarding the release of the long awaited Microlaunchers book. The book titled ” Microlaunchers: Technology for a New Space Age” is now available and Charles and his co-author will be here to talk about it. I will give away one copy of the book to the first caller for today’s show.

2. Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014:, 7-8:30 PM PST (10-11:30 PM EST, 9-10:30 PM CST): Bob Zimmerman is back with space news, facts, and charged opinions. Don’t miss Bob, he always bring interesting issues to our attention.

3. Friday, January 17, 2014, 9:30-11 AM: We welcome back Joan Horvath to discuss 3D Printing.

4. Sunday, January 19, 2014, 12-1:30 PM PST (3-4:30 PM EST, 2-3:30 PM CST). We welcome back Dr. Bill Rowe with new and important space medical information. Visit his website for his latest, research, analysis, and conclusions (www.femsinspace.com).

See also:
/– The Space Show on Vimeo – webinar videos
/– The Space Show’s Blog – summaries of interviews.
/– The Space Show Classroom Blog – tutorial programs

The Space Show is a project of the One Giant Leap Foundation.

Carnival of Space # 336 – PhotosToSpace.com

The PhotosTospace blog hosts the latest Carnival of Space.

Chinese lunar lander and rover back in action after long night

The China’s Chang’e 3 lunar lander and Yutu rover have woken up after sleeping through the 2 week long lunar night:

Here is a nice collection of images from the lander:

First images of lunar landscape from Chang'e 3 lander, December 15, 2013Chinese Academy of Sciences

Everyone can participate in space